Houston Dynamo secured a 2-1 home win over Vancouver Whitecaps as goals from Giles Barnes and Warren Creavalle earned them the three points.
The visitors' keeper Joe Cannon was in the action early as he did well to stop Ricardo Clark from giving the hosts the lead in the 14th minute.
This was to be vital as the Whitecaps took the lead through Darren Mattocks when he beat a challenge on the edge of the area and blasted the ball into the top corner.
After the break, Mattocks had a great chance to double his side's lead on a counterattack but with only Tally Hall to beat, the striker fired the ball straight at his feet.
Minutes later, Houston were level through Barnes as he headed home from close range converting Clark's lofted pass into the six-yard box.
The hosts took the lead in the 62nd minute when Creavalle bundled the ball into the net after Vancouver had failed to clear their lines from a corner.
Camilo Sanvezzo almost got the Whitecaps a late equaliser but his free kick clattered off the post, bounced across the line, smacked into the opposite post and was cleared by the Dynamo defence.
Simon Sinclair
